Ep 735 (29 Mar 1991)
Synopsis Mark spots Karen leaving with the two ne'er-do-wells in their battered yellow ute. He calls out to her but she doesn't want to know. Back at the Surf Club, Sophie and Haydn talk about what has just happened. She is sorry she didn't try harder to stop Karen. Mark comes in and tells them he just saw Karen leave. They debate whether they should try to go after Karen and if she's safe. Blake comes home looking for Karen. She's still mad at him, Mark and Sophie. Ailsa says she hope they patch things up soon after the day she just had. Alf leaves the house, making an enigmatic comment about having something to do. In Summer Bay House, Pippa and Michael are preparing dinner when Sophie and Haydn rush in. They are eager to tell them what has just happened to Karen but the adults are more interested in Michael and Haydn having a father and son talk. Pippa takes Sophie outside into the garden to help her. Haydn tries to tell Michael about what happened with Karen. Frustratingly, all Michael is interested in talking about are his plans to go work on a prawn trawler. Haydn is adamant he is going and that he's old enough to look after himself. Karen and the two yobbos pull up near a beach and they open up some cans of beer. Already it's clear that Karen regrets her decision. And now her clothes smell of Fosters™. Oh dear... Unlike Haydn, Sophie managed to tell an adult what happened with Karen. Pippa comes back into the house and straight away gets on the phone to Ailsa. Once she answers the phone call in her house, Ailsa rushes over to Pippa's, telling Blake to come with her and that she'll explain it all in the car. Karen isn't enjoying herself at all. The suggestion from the two yobbos that she swim without a swimming costume goes down like a lead balloon. She asks them if she can go home now but they're in no mood to leave. A search party is quickly organised. Haydn and Sophie don't have much of a description of the two guys other than they looked like a pair of hoons. Mark is the only person who saw what they were driving so Michael decides to take Blake and Haydn with him to his house. Mark isn't at home though. He is sitting outside the Diner telling Bobby about his woman troubles. Their chat is interrupted by Michael, Blake and Haydn wanting to know what the two guys were driving. Mark also knows what direction they headed in, which is an invaluable lead. The two yobbos are pretty drunk now but want more beer. They won't take Karen home but they tell her that if she fetches them some more beers from the ute, they might think about it. The looks they exchange behind her back suggest that's not going to happen. Ailsa reports Karen being missing to the police but Blake is becoming increasingly ratty. Michael works out that there are only a few routes they could've taken. He decides to take one road to look for her. Ailsa will take another. Sophie and Pippa opt to stay in Ailsa's house in case she comes home. As she takes the beers out of the ute, Karen notices that the keys are still in the ignition. She starts it and tries to drive away. Not very well - she crashes straight into a tree and damages the front of the car. The two hoons are furious. Just when it's starting to look like things could be getting hairy for Karen, Michael and Ailsa drive up to the scene. Michael sends the others away before giving the two guys $100 to cover the damage. The guy who owns it wants double that but Michael tells them they're pushing their luck. Even though they swear they didn't touch Karen, Michael points out that it doesn't look good for them. Karen can't drive but something made her try to get out of there in their ute. As a parting shot, he says they shouldn't be in a hurry to come back to Summer Bay either. Karen is safely home and everyone is gathering their wits again when the phone rings. Ailsa answers - it is the estate agent insisting she come down to the shop right now. He has found somebody to take over the lease. Pippa and Michael tell her they'll stay and keep an eye on things while she goes. When Ailsa gets to the shop, there is no sign of the estate agent. The only person in there is Alf. He hadn't been able to get in touch with her all day and says he had been down here making up his mind. He is the new lessee. After the day she has had, Ailsa becomes a little emotional and tearful. An impromptu celebration starts up in the Diner, Karen is safe and has made up with Sophie. Alf then announces that he has signed the lease on the new Stewart store and that they'll all have somewhere decent to buy their groceries again. And finally, in case nobody knows yet, Michael and Pippa are officially engaged. Everyone looks pleased apart from Haydn. Sophie asks him does he really have to go? He answers that his dad is so wrapped in Pippa he won't want him hanging around. Mark appears at the doorway of the Diner and is invited in by Alf. He sits down beside Karen and asks her out again. She agrees. In the middle of the partying, the phone rings. Bobby answers it. It's Louise Scott from Family and Community Services. She wants to see her tomorrow. Cast *Karen Dean - Belinda Jarrett *Haydn Ross - Andrew Hill *Sophie Simpson - Rebekah Elmaloglou *Blake Dean - Les Hill *Ailsa Stewart - Judy Nunn *Alf Stewart - Ray Meagher *Michael Ross - Dennis Coard *Pippa Fletcher - Debra Lawrance *Bobby Simpson - Nicolle Dickson Guest Cast *Mark McGregor - Greg Hatton *Tony Clark - Robert Hunter *Colin - Timothy Schwerdt *Graham - Robert Carlton - * Writer - Mary Dagmar Davies * Director - Tina Butler * Series Producer - Andrew Howie * Exec Producer - Des Monaghan Prev Ep Ep 734 (28 Mar 1991) Next Ep Ep 736 (1 Apr 1991) Category:1991 episodes.